This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between immunophenotype of the background lymphocytes and histological subtype of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), and its significance. The relative protein expressions of background lymphocytes were detected in 37 HL specimens on the basis of instant-rapid MaxVision(TM) immunohistochemical method and assessed quantitatively with image analysis software IPP6.0. The adoptive antibody included anti-CD3/CD45RO, anti-CD20/CD79a, anti-CD4, anti-CD8, anti-GrB, anti-TIA-1. The results indicated that out of 37 cases 4 were NLPHL, 33 were CHL including 6 of MCHL, 14 of NSHL, 13 of LRHL. In addition, 10 cases (1 was NLPHL, 4 were NSHL, 5 were LRHL) were involved in the analysis of T/B ratios. The ratio of T/B in NLPHL was 0.28 +/- 0.07, in CHL 4.34 +/- 2.45 (p = 0.001), in CHL the ratio was LRHL > NSHL > MCHL (p = 0.649); CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio in NLPHL was 4.55 +/- 1.28, in CHL 4.10 +/- 1.50 (p = 0.574), in CHL it was MCHL > NSHL > LRHL (p = 0.037); GrB(+)/TIA-1(+) ratio in NLPHL was 0.71 +/- 0.57, in CHL 0.74 +/- 0.39, it was MCHL > NSHL > LRHL (p > 0.05). It is conduced that immune cell composition of the diagnostic HL lymph node represents the immune microenvironment. It is different between NLPHL and CHL in terms of the T- and B-lymphocyte distribution. NLPHL is of unique feature. The subtypes of CHL are of peculiar. The T/B ratio is in order as LRHL > NSHL > MCHL, but CD4(+)/CD8(+) and GrB(+)/TIA-1(+) ratios are in the opposite order. Combining with prognosis of subtypes of CHL i.e, LRHL > NSHL > MCHL, these data suggest that low ratio of T/B with high ratios of CD4(+)/CD8(+) and GrB(+)/TIA-1(+) may represent biological markers predicting an unfavorable outcome of CHL subtypes.